International Sikh Convention: Won’t trigger war, says Imran

LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said Pakistan would never initiate a war first, but it would respond in a befitting manner if any aggression was perpetrated against it.

He also announced giving multiple visas to Sikh yatrees visiting Pakistan from the USA, Europe and other countries. He said the government would make efforts to facilitate the yatrees from India also, as issuance of visas to them on arrival at airports was also being considered.

Addressing the concluding session of three-day International Sikh Convention at the Governor’s House, the PM said that what was happening in Kashmir could not be tolerated. He said that what Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was committing with Kashmiri Muslims could also be done to Sikhs and other minorities there if they were not stopped right now. He said the Kashmir issue could be solved through dialogue as both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers, adding that the tension between the two sides could lead to a very dangerous situation.

Imran said RSS was the greatest threat to India itself and the global community needs to raise voice against it, adding that Indian PM Narendra Modi should tell the world which religion justified killings of innocent people. For the last 27 days, he said India had imposed curfew in held Kashmir and eight million Kashmiris had been made hostage.

He said that it was the RSS ideology that eventually led to the creation of Pakistan, as Quaid-e-Azam had well assessed that on what plan the party was working on.

The PM said a solution to the Kashmir issue through dialogue was the priority of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and added that even during the telephonic contact with Modi, he said he had told the Indian counterpart that if he moved one step ahead, Pakistan would move forward two steps towards India.

On the other hand, he said India was setting terms for dialogue and acted as if it was a superpower. He said those who supported the idea of war were not talking sense. It seems they had not gone through the history, which showed wars had never resolved issues rather complicated them, the premier added.

The ceremony was also attended by Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, special assistants and advisors to PM including Naeemul Haq, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Abdul Razzaq Daud, Provincial Minister Chaudhry Zaheeruddin and others.

APP adds: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday chaired a meeting in Lahore on provision of healthcare facilities to the people of Punjab. He also discussed with Chief Minister Usman Buzdar overall situation of the province. The discussion also focused on progress of socio-economic projects in the province.

Imran Khan also held a meeting with a delegation of prominent Chinese companies and investors led by Javed Afridi here at the Governor’s House. The delegation members belonged to Chinese city of Xingdong, PM Office Media Wing in a press release said. The investors expressed interest in different sectors of economy, including investment in industrial projects, especially the Golden Triangle (Gujrat, Gujranwala and Sialkot).